Nightmare at Staples II?

LOS ANGELES - Clippers forward Tim Thomas said he did not need to view any recent tape of the Lakers to know what challenge he and his teammates face in the two teams' second meeting in a week.

"I only know what they did against us in the first game,'' said Thomas, speaking on the 117-79 lashing the Lakers administered in the Clippers' season opener. "I haven't watched too much film on them of late. But they're a talented team. With (Andrew) Bynum back they're long and they have their bench players playing with confidence and that's always key, and they've got a guy that can close a game in Kobe.''

With the Lakers at3-0 and the Clippers at 0-4 it conceivably could be looked at as an embarrassing situation for one of the two teams that share Staples Center.

"I don't even think like that. My mind isn't even on that,'' Clippers second-year forward Al Thornton said. "The Lakers are the Lakers. I so concerned with what we've got going and what we're trying to get accomplished. They've got their goals and we've got ours.

"But they're a very good team. They play well together. They do their defensive rotations. They run their offense well. They rarely turn the ball over. They're definitely one of the elite teams. For us to even have a chance to win or even to be in the game, we have to limit our turnovers, play smart and play together.''

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.